# Mukesh Ambani's FY25 Earnings from Reliance: Zero Salary, But Billions in Dividends – And What His Kids Pocketed
Mukesh Ambani, Asia's richest man and the Chairman-Managing Director of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), continues to embody the ethos of restraint at the top. For the fifth consecutive year, he drew **zero salary** from the conglomerate in FY25 (April 2024–March 2025), a decision rooted in the COVID-19 pandemic's economic fallout but sustained as a symbol of leadership humility. Despite this, Ambani's true financial haul from Reliance remains colossal through dividends, underscoring his 50.33% family stake in the oil-to-telecom-to-retail behemoth. Meanwhile, his children—Akash, Isha, and Anant—stepped up their board involvement, each earning a modest yet symbolic **Rs 6 lakh sitting fee** for FY25, alongside commissions that pushed their total remuneration to Rs 2.31 crore apiece. As Reliance's annual report reveals, this blend of forbearance and family empowerment signals a smooth generational handover amid the company's trillion-dollar ambitions.
## The Chairman's Compensation: Nil Salary, But Dividend Riches
Ambani's FY25 remuneration package from RIL? A resounding **Rs 0** across salary, allowances, perquisites, and retiral benefits. This marks the fifth straight year of salary waiver, starting FY21 when he voluntarily capped his pay at nil to support the firm's recovery post-pandemic. Previously, from FY09 to FY20, he had self-imposed a Rs 15 crore annual ceiling, even as Reliance ballooned into India's most valuable company.
But don't mistake this for frugality—dividends are Ambani's real payday. He personally holds 1.61 crore shares, netting **Rs 8.85 crore** from RIL's Rs 5.50 per share dividend for FY25. Add the promoter group entities he controls (664.5 crore shares, or 50.07% stake), and the family raked in a staggering **Rs 3,655 crore** in dividends. With Ambani and his three children collectively owning shares worth 6.44 lakh crore, their FY24 dividend alone (Rs 10 per share) tallied Rs 3,322.7 crore. At a net worth nearing $100 billion, ranking him 18th globally, Ambani's "earnings" from Reliance are less about salary and more about equity's exponential returns.
This approach isn't just personal—it's strategic. Reliance's filing notes that security costs for Ambani and his family are company-borne but not counted as perquisites, freeing up even more value.
## The Next-Gen Ambanis: Rs 6 Lakh Sitting Fees and Boardroom Beginnings
While Mukesh leads by example with zero take-home pay, his children are carving their niches with measured rewards. Akash (31, Jio Chairman), Isha (31, Retail head), and Anant (30, New Energy spearhead) joined RIL's board as non-executive directors in October 2023 at nil base salary. For FY25, each received:
- **Rs 6 lakh sitting fee** (up from Rs 4 lakh in FY24) for attending board meetings.
- **Rs 2.27 lakh commission** (up from Rs 97,000), tied to performance.
This totals **Rs 2.31 crore per sibling**, a tidy sum but dwarfed by their operational clout. Notably, these figures are from their non-executive roles; Akash and Isha's Jio/Retail leadership and Anant's energy ventures likely yield separate, undisclosed incentives.
A game-changer for Anant: Appointed whole-time Executive Director in June 2025, he'll draw **Rs 10–20 crore annually** starting FY26, including salary, perquisites, housing allowances, utilities, and profit-linked bonuses—plus reimbursements for security and medicals. Nita Ambani, who stepped down in August 2023, isn't in FY25's list but earned Rs 0.02 crore sitting fee + Rs 0.97 crore commission in FY24.
| Ambani Family Member | Role in FY25 | Sitting Fee | Commission | Total Remuneration | Future Outlook |
|-----------------------|--------------|-------------|------------|---------------------|---------------|
| **Mukesh Ambani** | Chairman-MD | Rs 0 | Rs 0 | **Rs 0** (Salary) + Rs 8.85 Cr Dividends (Personal) | Re-appointed till 2029 at nil salary |
| **Akash Ambani** | Non-Exec Director (Jio Head) | Rs 6 Lakh | Rs 2.27 Lakh | **Rs 2.31 Cr** | Continues non-exec; Jio deals drive value |
| **Isha Ambani** | Non-Exec Director (Retail Head) | Rs 6 Lakh | Rs 2.27 Lakh | **Rs 2.31 Cr** | Retail expansion focus |
| **Anant Ambani** | Non-Exec Director (Now Exec from FY26) | Rs 6 Lakh | Rs 2.27 Lakh | **Rs 2.31 Cr** | Rs 10–20 Cr salary in FY26 |
## Beyond the Board: Cousins and Key Executives' Paychecks
Reliance's leadership bench remains robustly compensated. Cousins Nikhil R. Meswani and Hital R. Meswani (Executive Directors) each earned **Rs 25 crore** in FY25—a slight dip from FY24's Rs 25.31–25.42 crore—comprising Rs 7.28 crore salary/perks, Rs 0.44 crore retiral, and Rs 17.28 crore commission (including FY24 incentives paid in FY25). Director P.M.S. Prasad pocketed **Rs 19.96 crore** (Rs 19.37 crore salary/perks + Rs 0.59 crore retiral).
These figures highlight Reliance's merit-based ethos: Top earners tie pay to performance in O2C, digital, and retail arms, fueling a FY25 revenue of Rs 10 lakh crore+.
## What This Means for Reliance's Dynasty and India's Corporate Landscape
Mukesh Ambani's zero-salary streak isn't altruism—it's a masterclass in wealth preservation via ownership. With dividends surging (RIL declared Rs 10/share for FY24), the family's FY25 windfall eclipses any executive paycheck. For the siblings, Rs 6 lakh sitting fees symbolize entry-level board duty, but their real inheritance is strategic: Akash's 5G push, Isha's luxury retail blitz, and Anant's green energy pivot position them as RIL's future engines.
As Reliance eyes deep-tech overhauls and a 2026 golden jubilee, this FY25 snapshot reaffirms the Ambanis' playbook—modest draws today for monumental control tomorrow. Critics may call it dynastic, but with RIL's market cap at Rs 19 lakh crore, it's undeniably effective. What's next: Anant's FY26 payday or a family-led IPO wave? In Ambani world, the real earnings are always one dividend away.
